


Illuminated.

by clearpurity2



Category: Senki Zesshou Symphogear
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-14
Updated: 2019-11-14
Packaged: 2021-01-30 09:10:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,189
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21425752
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clearpurity2/pseuds/clearpurity2
Summary: All it takes is a different perspective.(Takes place after XV)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 43





	Illuminated.

**Author's Note:**

> Whew, uh, I hope this one is enjoyable! Been sitting on this idea for about two weeks but never finished until now. Not much else to say for now, so more notes at the end. Thanks ahead of time for reading!

_‘Always being one step ahead. Never allowing myself to be demoted. Never looking at anyone’s back._

_This concept kept me in a bubble.  
If no one could understand me, why should I attempt to understand them?_

_They didn’t put forth the effort, why should I?_

_Friends…I’m sure I had them. But they were only a goal for me.  
They were there to keep me down, talking only as a means for me to find ways to get ahead of them._

_With such one way of thinking, having friends in the first place felt like a miracle. Fake smiles, fake waves, when all I could do was see right through them._

_Because of this, I don’t know why she chose to stick with me this long._

_Amusing she thinks the same about herself.’_

——

“Miku! Mikuuuuuu!”

Hibiki stressed, Miku hearing her ragged breathing from behind.

“Hm?” The teenager slowed down her pace, turning her head to see Hibiki lying down on the ground, her limbs sprawled out as if she was hit smack dab on the ground.

“What’s wrong?” Miku asked.  
“You run too fast!” Hibiki coughed out immediately.  
“Huh? But I’ve always run like this.”  
“But it’s been so loooooong!”

Miku stood there, allowing the girl to catch her breath before walking over towards the benches. Coming back with a two towels and water bottles, she held them out to Hibiki.

“Here.”  
Hibiki seemed to hesitate in taking them but didn’t waste time in chugging down a good portion of water after opening it. Miku took her time in drinking some, using the other towel after to wipe her face.

“Pah!” That was indeed a noise that Hibiki chose to let out to signify she was done. Clearing her throat, she finally looked back up towards Miku.

“It’s been so long since we’ve had a run together, huh?”

“Ah, yeah.”

“And as I thought, you’re still amazing at it, even after all these years!”

“Hm, maybe.”

“Watching you run again has been amazing…”

“Mhm.”

The silence dragged on a bit longer, Miku staring at nothing but the sky. She stayed situated on the bench while Hibiki was sitting on the ground near her feet, her back laid against the leg of the bench.

Blue skies. It was beautiful.  
_‘And to think how beautiful it was when it was red. The tree spread across the world, budding like chrysanthemums. Wouldn’t you agree?’_

Feeling Hibiki’s hand grab hers destroyed the illusion, giving her a slight flinch out of surprise.  
“You okay?” Hibiki’s tone was dripping with concern, if her expression wasn’t enough.

Things may have been scary for her these past few months, but it was the same for Hibiki. 

“Yes, I’m fine.” Miku finally answered. “Just…thinking. I’m sorry, what were you saying?”

Something about track, right? And how she used to run a lot? Hibiki called it amazing, but Miku could only see it as running away. Selfishness.

“Never mind, don’t worry about it.” Hibiki gave her a smile and a pat on the hand, Miku watching her in confusion.

“Alright!” Hibiki hopped to her feet, stretching her arms. “Ready to start again?”

Hibiki’s body made it clear how many times she’s practiced and trained so…why would she want to run around a track with her? To help her train with that robe, right? This didn’t feel the same. They could go into the training room for that.

How much more catching up would she need to get to that level?

_‘I said I didn’t want to be left behind, and yet here I am…’_

Miku stood to her feet as well, placing the towel and bottle aside before stretching her limbs again.

“Alright. Let’s start again.”

Hibiki used to be so slow when she ran track, Miku normally out beating her. Once they got to Lydian and Hibiki started dealing with her duties as a Symphogear user, Miku could tell she was getting further and further away and out of her grasp. She could see Hibiki slipping past her at full speed…but there wasn’t anything she could do about it.

She’s tried multiple times to catch up, but all her efforts only placed her 100 steps back.

As they ran together now, Miku finally felt as if she was on equal footing with her but at the same time, she noticed the gap between them. Would it ever end?

_‘Am I truly running towards the change I long for?’_

—-

“You getting enough sleep?”

“Yes.”

“Eating, too?”

“Yes, haha. We’ve been through this before, Chris. You don’t have to keep asking me the same questions.”

“Yeah, well…” Chris sighed, leaning back in her chair. “You’re just as hardheaded as that idiot sometimes, so someone has to make sure you don’t go crazy. But you’re also a lot smarter.”

Miku chuckled.  
“So, does that give me a pass?”

“Of course not!” Chris took a bite out of her anpan, sitting rather awkwardly in her chair.  
“Just because you’re smarter doesn’t mean you won’t work yourself to death.”

“Aha, right. Of course.”

So far, everyone has been helping her to get settled back in. There were moments where…she slipped up a few times but they were all there to pick her back up. It was nice having a support system.

Chris, ever so often, liked to make sure Miku was up to par with her studies, as well as eating and taking breaks. She’d get yelled at if she said an answer Chris didn’t agree with, but she knew it was out of care. Was this how Hibiki felt 24/7?

Miku leaned back into her chair, closing her eyes to enjoy the breeze hitting against her face, her hair tickling her skin. Chris offered to take these meetings outside for a change, thinking the scenery would be nice.

It did wonders for the mood, despite knowing that this would only lead into one thing.

“Say…you remember when we first met?” Chris’ voice broke the silence this time, surprising Miku as she leaned up to look at her.  
“Yes, of course I do.”

Miku didn’t know a single thing about Chris but…finding her lying in a dirty alley was all the proof she needed that the girl needed help. Chris was quiet for a while, stirring her drink with her straw before looking directly back at Miku.

“I feel like I never thanked you for that.”

“O-Oh, you don’t have to do that—”

“But I want to.” Chris cut her off, the girl looking apologetic afterwards. “S-Sorry, but…just let me try…okay?”

Miku nodded, interlacing her hands together as she sat and listened. She made sure not to make direct eye contact with Chris, or stare her down, since she was sure that would only add more pressure onto the girl to speak.

She wanted to give Chris the time to gather her thoughts together.

“When you told me that…you wanted to be friends, I didn’t believe you. Deep down, I wanted friends, I wanted someone to be close to, someone to rely on. But…people always let me down. _I_ always let people down and ended up hurting them in the end. I was afraid of that happening with you.”

Chris fidgeted in her seat, still avoiding eye contact with her while Miku focused on her drink.

“It’s been a long time since we spoke, one on one after that. I felt as if…I left you behind. Between that idiot and all the missions and all the world threats, it felt like there was no time for me to say anything. And besides that, I sure as hell didn’t know how to talk to anyone back then. I still don’t…r-really. But I want to try because…I at least want everyone to know that I don’t take these connections for granted.”

Miku wanted to protest and say that they all knew Chris wasn’t taking it for granted. They knew the girl cared about her new life and friends very strongly but she made sure to stay silent to let her continue.

“You’re still…my first friend. And I’m grateful you saved me that day. S-So…thank you.”

Chris still didn’t look at her, but Miku was smiling.  
“You’re welcome.” She said softly.  
“B-But…!” Chris finally looked up at her, cheeks flushed. “…know that I want to help you too! We don’t have to talk about it, just moments like this is enough! Whatever you want to do to take your mind off things, okay?”

Miku kept the smile on her lips, slowly reaching over to touch Chris’ hand and give it a gentle squeeze. She was grateful that Chris didn’t pull away this time around.

“I’m lucky to have you as a friend, Chris.”

Meaning every single word.

_‘Taking a break from it all sounded…nice.’_

—–

How many times has she fallen, now? Miku could count at least…three or four times. Skating proved to be hard normally, how in the world would she be able to learn ice skating? Luckily there weren’t many people around to wallow in her embarrassment but she was taking things in stride.

On the other hand, her skating partner had no issues, except for a few awkward slips here and there. With a giggle, the young girl moved towards her in order to help.  
“You okay, Miku-san?” Shirabe smiled, reaching her hand out towards her.

“I’m fine.” Miku chuckled along with her, using the girl’s hand to pull herself back onto her feet. Instead of letting her go on her own, Shirabe held onto Miku’s hand the whole time as they made their way around the rink.

Not once has Miku ever thought about skating or giving it a try. It felt even more surprising that Shirabe found joy in it as well. Miku assumed it was due to her Gear but maybe there was more to it.

Once they made their round, Miku chose to ask.

“Shirabe-chan…have you always enjoyed skating like this?”

“No.” She answered back only after a brief pause. “I didn’t even know what skating was before I got Shulshagana. Despite the way I got it, it still means a lot to me. And somehow, the skating got really fun.”

She continued holding onto Miku’s hand as she slowly rode in a circle.

“I hated those people. I really did…but it led me to meeting Kiri-chan, Maria and Serena. And then I have Shulshagana to help me along the way. Despite being shoved into this life, something about skating felt freeing. I was stuck there, we all were, but it gave me the sense of freedom that I could escape from it all eventually. That’s all I could think about as we trained day in and day out.”

Shirabe eventually led Miku towards one of the side barriers, merely to stand there and catch their breath. 

“I wanted to keep doing it, even after getting free. It just reminds me of our lives now, and how we can continue living in this world without fear of being held down again.” Shirabe paused, blushing lightly.

“Sorry…I don’t usually talk that much…I didn’t mean to ramble to you with all that…”

Miku smiled, shaking her head.  
“No, I enjoyed learning more about you, Shirabe-chan. I didn’t want to assume things of you, but I was afraid to ask.”

Not as if they had a lot of time to spend together, so she wasn’t sure on what would be off limits or what she’d be willing to talk about. Her past, including Maria and Kirika, felt forbidden in most ways so she didn’t think to ever talk or ask about it. But this time, Shirabe actually chose to open it all up to her on her own. It was surprising.

“I used to be afraid too…opening up, I mean. I could only really open up to Kiri-chan and Maria but they could be themselves around others. I wondered why I couldn’t do that before, and I thought it was just me being…mean.” Putting it lightly, anyway.

“You weren’t being mean, Shirabe-chan. Based on how you were raised, I’m sure it was mainly because you wanted to protect yourself and the people you cared for.”

But she understood the struggle; it prevented her from letting anyone else in.

“I know that…you struggled with this too, Miku-san.” Shirabe spoke quietly, looking down at the blade on her shoe. Ice was caked on it, the teenager knocking the remnants off once she lightly banged the front of her shoe against the frozen ground.

“It was a different scenario for you but…I do at least feel like I can relate a little to it. Letting people know how you feel is hard. I was afraid to open up to people. I was even afraid to apologize to her, and I still haven’t.”

Her? Miku took a few seconds to gather her thoughts as to who she meant. At first, she assumed Kirika but they haven’t been through something recently to apologize for, right? Did they get into a fight she didn’t know about? But the more she thought, the more she remembered. Did she mean…?

“I’ve learned a lot from you all, and I want to be more honest with myself and everyone else. So, you can always rely on me if you ever want to talk about what’s bothering you, Miku-san.”

She was right. She has learned a lot, and was obvious with each passing day…even if Miku didn’t see her all the time due to missions. But they could see each other more often at school.

“Thank you, Shirabe-chan. I offer the same to you. And…don’t worry. You’ll be able to apologize to her with ease. I could help you, if you like?”

Shirabe smiled.  
“I’d appreciate it.”  
“But first…” Miku smiled, holding her finger up, “…you have to teach me how to stay on my feet for at least ten minutes.”

It sounded like an impossible request, but Shirabe suddenly looked determined to give it a try.  
“I’ll help you out, Miku-san. You’ll be skating around here like a professional in no time.”

“With your help, I know I will.”

Was skating Shirabe’s way of expressing herself?

_‘This really does feel like a release…’_

—-

“Wouldn’t you be more happy asking Tsukuyomi for advice? I really am not that great at cooking.”

“It’s fine. We can learn together.”

Asking Tsubasa to cook probably felt…way out of her box. After all, she was much better with being a teacher when it came to training and the whole sword talk. The idea of cooking must have gotten her a bit rattled since Miku noticed how much her fingers were shaking. With a smile, Miku helped her cut up the green onions before sprinkling them inside the batter.

“So this is…okonomiyaki?”  
“Yes.” Miku continued with the smile on her lips. “Hibiki and I eat it all the time down at Flower. We’ve wanted to take you there before but things got hectic and…yeah. That didn’t work out so much. She makes it a lot better than us, that’s for sure.”

But she was a professional so it wasn’t all that surprising. There’s no way anyone could replicate her way of making the dish, but if they didn’t have the time or money, Miku wanted to try making a homemade one whenever they had a craving. Hopefully it would be good enough in its own way.

“Tachibana does talk about that place a lot.” Tsubasa chuckled as she continued cutting. Despite her shaky fingers, she was still an expert in doing precise cuts.

“Due to how excited she gets, I want to see and try it out for myself. I promised her once before, but I need to keep up with that promise. Given that I don’t have many tours or appearances right now, perhaps I should finally fulfill it.” 

The mention of lack of concerts and appearances caused Miku’s lips to turn slightly into a frown. It’s been a while since Tsubasa sang on the grand stage, and part of her missed it. Sure, they could sing with her personally within karaoke bars or within HQ, but there still seemed to be a part of Tsubasa that missed flying on the main stage. Everyone missed seeing her being able to do that too, but they wouldn’t rush her. It was a slow process…one that wouldn’t be so easily solved.

“Tachibana tells me that you were a fan before her.” Tsubasa chuckled, causing Miku to look up at her.  
“Why does it feel as if I wasn’t told this before?”

“Really? With how much Hibiki talks, I thought you would have known by now. But me knowing about you first doesn’t make much of a difference. I was just glad to share a band I liked with her. I was unsure about how she felt towards music in general, but she fell in love with you at first sight!”

Thinking back to it all, her chest began to hurt.  
“I…sometimes wonder what it would have been like if I went with her that day. Would I still be alive? Would I be in her place? Would we both be gone? It’s scary to imagine but…no matter what, those scenario’s continued to flash through my mind, even now.”  
Miku chuckled.

“Maybe I still have a lot of growing to do.” 

Tsubasa was silent the entire time, the only sound filling the air being their knives hitting against the cutting board. It was comforting somewhat, almost like a clock counting down the seconds. 

1, 2, 3…

Or maybe it should be counting backwards.

“That sense of guilt…can eat away at you.” Tsubasa finally spoke but kept her eyes down on the vegetables.

“I felt that way for Kanade. What if I was stronger? Would I have been more experienced to help her so we wouldn’t have lost so many lives that day? Would I have been able to prevent her death? And in turn…would I have been able to prevent Tachibana from being shoved into this life? Perhaps you wouldn’t even be feeling the guilt you are now.”

The constant hits against the cutting board soon came to a slow tempo.

4...5...6…

“However, I know that neither Kanade or Tachibana would want us to blame ourselves for something out of our control. It’s easier said than done, but they have a point. We don’t deserve that weight on our shoulders. I try my best to keep it in mind. I’m sure Tachibana has said this to you in person?”

Miku sighed, closing her eyes for a few seconds before looking up to see Tsubasa staring at her.  
“She has…multiple times. Ever since …you know, she’s told me that I can come to her if I ever feel like talking. That there wasn’t a point in hiding my emotions anymore for the sake of hers. It was only fair. She never blamed me, not once, for what happened. She told me she didn’t know I was placing that much blame on myself and wished she’d seen it sooner. But…”

Miku stopped, her eyes looking back down at the cutting board. She felt as if she was repeating herself, saying something out loud that literally everyone already knew so…why was she doing it?

“…it’s easier said than done.” Tsubasa’s voice broke through, forcing Miku to look back up at her to see a smile on her lips.

“But it doesn’t mean it’s impossible, Kohinata. No matter how long it takes, you’ll get there. I’m still working on it every day, but everyone has been there for me to help push me along. And we will be doing the same for you.”

Soon enough, the woman went back to cutting.  
“After all, I must help out my first fan.”

The comment made her laugh, one that felt good to have. Miku began to hum to herself, a familiar tune yet one Tsubasa wasn’t expecting.

“Luminous Gate?” She guessed, Miku nodding confidently to the woman in confirmation.

“Thought I’d switch it up. I’m still trying to teach Hibiki this one.”

“Haha, are you? Well, you truly will be the one to help me back on the stage, Kohinata.” The woman teased.

“I look forward to it!”

It would be all of them to help Tsubasa find her wings to fly again.

_‘Maybe I felt I’ve grown my own set of wings too…’_

—-

“10! 9! 8! Keep going!”

With every sit up, Miku kept the number in her head with each rush of air she exhaled. Maria was there to hold her feet as she continued, also keeping her own reminder of how many she did.

The woman almost sounded like a drill sergeant, which would make Miku laugh if she wasn’t so focused.

5! 4! 3! 2! 1!” 

Once she hit that 0, Miku stopped and laid flat on her back, catching her breath.

“You did good, Miku.” Maria smiled, sitting beside the young girl. “You sure you only did track in school? It feels like you’ve done a lot more than just that. I didn’t realize how athletic you were.”

“Haha…I haven’t done this since high school, so I wouldn’t say I’m all that athletic.”

“Nonsense. Your stamina is amazing. I’ve heard the stories. You outrunning a Noise? Even saw you throw a supernatural cane into another dimension. If that isn’t strength, I don’t know what is.” Maria laughed, causing Miku to join in. Maria wasn’t there for outrunning the Noise part, so Hibiki must have told her that. It made her wonder why or how it even got brought up in a conversation between the two.

The floor felt nice and cool against her back, helping to calm down her temperature from the workout.

“Strength…that word gets thrown around a lot, I notice.” Miku spoke, keeping her eyes glued to the ceiling.  
“Especially from you.”

“Really?” Maria looked down at her curiously. “Hm, maybe I do more than I realize. Just…part of my vocabulary, I guess. Or part of who I am. It’s almost as if I’m teetering between strength and weakness every single second. There’s truly no definition for what I feel or am most of the time.”

Miku kept still before slowly leaning up, finally making eye contact with Maria.

“You are there for everyone, Maria-san. I don’t know how you do it. In a way, Hibiki is the same but…for you, it’s different. You stand strong when you’re in battle and even training. Everything about your stance and how you present yourself showcases nothing but confidence. And yet…in instances like this, you sound so unsure and doubt yourself. Is there a reason why?”

Maria stared at her before letting out another chuckle, resting her arms on her knees and she shifted her gaze to look ahead.  
“I’ve always known someone stronger than me. Back then, I was a scared child. I know that…I was a child so maybe it was excusable. But when I think about her, she’s always shown true courage in the face of fear. Despite what happened, she always retained her positive out look and believed in me until the end. I wanted to be like that one day. I’ve always wanted to emulate that type of resolve.”

Maria hesitated, tapping her finger on her knee.

“But I know now that I don’t, and shouldn’t, emulate her or that courage. I have my own way of going about things. You just can’t help but sometimes look back and think if what you did was really the right thing or not. Would it be different if I was stronger or was my indecisiveness was the key for me finding my own sense of courage?”

“I’d like to think so.” Miku responded immediately.

“There’s something about you, Maria-san, that radiates something unique to you. I’m sure she would be proud of you and how far you’ve come. And besides, you’re still keeping her memory alive with you, right?”

Another small chuckle left Maria’s lips.  
“…I wasn’t wrong when I said you reminded me of her. Though, during that moment…it felt more like a reminder of me not being able to save her in a similar situation. Maybe I was trying to make up for that mistake by saving you. You’re calm, yet resilient, making you seem wise beyond your years. That’s how Serena was…”

Maria rubbed her forehead.

“I’m sorry about all that. I never truly apologized to you for it. If I was stronger by that point, I very well could have prevented the whole incident between you and Tachibana Hibiki.”

“But if you did, I might not have gotten stronger in my own way. Same could be said for Hibiki.”

It was hard to face and go through, but if they didn’t do it, then who’s to say they would be where they are now? Everyone’s mistakes all added up to get to this point in time where they were all better people for it.

“I was so desperate in my desire to save her that I listened. I didn’t have to, so it was a mistake on my part too, Maria-san. I wouldn’t ever blame you for that anyway. You did what you thought was right.”

Besides, wouldn’t it be more of that crazy doctor’s fault? However, Miku wouldn’t bring that up now. She wasn’t sure if Maria felt or thought the same way but she stayed silent afterwards. 

They both sat there in it, but nothing about it felt like pressure or a weight. It was comforting, one Miku wouldn’t mind getting lost in if time called for it. They both went through a lot internally, trying to be there for everyone else and hold everything together when they very well could be falling apart inside.

It felt like solidarity between them despite not saying anything else.

“Then…let’s keep on working and improving ourselves.” Maria finally spoke, rising to her feet with a grin. Banging her knuckles together, she offered her hand to Miku a few seconds later.

“We can’t disappoint ourselves, now can we?”

Miku smiled, taking the woman’s hand to help pull herself up.

“No, we can’t. We’ll help each other in our goal to strive in getting better.”

_‘We both could learn how to allow ourselves to be vulnerable from time to time…’_

—-

“This, this, and…this!”

Kirika smashed her fingers on multiple buttons on the vending machine. Some choices were unfavorable, like some very very sweet tea or hard pieces of chocolate. But there were some good choices such as a sweet bun or some reasonable sweet and tangy juice that left you wanting more with each sip.

And luckily enough for her, the last choice was her prize! Grabbing it from the dispenser, Kirika held it up in the air with confidence.

“Yesss!” She cheered, opening her eyes to see Miku standing right there. The teenager nearly dropped her prized possession but held it close to her chest, feeling her heart nearly beat through the can.

“Miku-san! Wh-What are you doing here?! Isn’t today an off day for you?!”

She chuckled.  
“Initially. But I was bored staying at the dorms all day, so…I came to the school. Just to see what everyone was up to.” Her eyes scanned around the area.

“Normally you’re with Shirabe-chan. She busy?”

“Ah, kind of! She’s in her own class right now but it’s the last one. Thought I’d wait for her until she was finished so…chose to waste some time near the park! But I was thirsty too.”

“I see.” 

Kirika seemed slightly anxious; was she unsure on what to say or do? Maybe appearing out of the blue really made her uncomfortable.

“Well, I can leave if you’d want me to—”

“No, no! Don’t leave! You can stay, Miku-san!” Kirika smiled, placing the can in her bag as she eagerly pulled Miku along.

“There’s this nearby bridge that’s really pretty! You can even see some fish swimming around! So, let’s go see that!”

Miku smiled, allowing herself to be pulled up until she heard the lapping sound of the water. It was so quiet around here that she didn’t have any issues hearing it before they even arrived.

She remembered walking along this bridge a few times, especially whenever she had to wait for Hibiki to get out of detention or something. It always ended up calming her nerves.

“Always something nice about hearing something as simple as water, isn’t it?” Kirika’s voice broke through, almost matching the peaceful, small waves of the stream.

“Something about watching the fish just going about their daily lives helps calm me down, you know? It’s also like a simple reminder of after all we’ve done, it all worked out in the end!”

So it helped calm Kirika down too? 

“Maybe the city noise is too loud?” Miku asked, which Kirika shook her head ‘no’ to.

“No, not exactly! The rustle and bustle of Tokyo is actually a ton of fun! Hearing people’s conversations, experiencing new things I never thought I would, even seeing cars go by is a lot of fun! But sometimes, I like listening to sounds like this. Probably doesn’t make much sense coming from me.”

“Of course it does. You’re one to soak up everything you can, even the most simple of things in life. Just because you’re pretty rambunctious doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy these things too, Kirika-chan.”

“Y-Yeah! Exactly!” Kirika grinned. She seemed happy for the understanding. Maybe she was afraid of being judged for it too?

Miku kept her eyes on the stream of water, soaking in every bit of noise that she could. And to think…she almost ruined this peace for her. 

If everything went differently, Kirika wouldn’t be able to listen to this, or enjoy her life of experiencing new things. Of course all of that was in the past but it didn’t make her feel any better since…it wasn’t all that long ago.

“…Miku-san?” Kirika’s voice was gentle, Miku slowly looking at her in surprise.

“Hm? What’s wrong?”

Kirika didn’t say anything at first, instead digging around in her bag for something. At first, Miku believed for her to be looking for the drink she got earlier but instead of the can, the young girl pulled out what looked like…a pack of tissues?

She tore the plastic open, immediately handing one to her once she managed to get it out of the packaging.

“Your face is wet.”

“What?”

Using her free hand, Miku touched her face to realize…her face was indeed ‘wet’. Chuckling, she used the tissue to wipe her eyes.

“I-I’m sorry…”

“You protected this place too!” Kirika responded immediately. “You didn’t do anything to destroy it. You protected this stream, this park, our school, our friends, and all these people!” She threw her arms into the air.

“So…you shouldn’t look at all this with such a sad face, okay? You were there with us. The victory belongs to you too. You should be proud!”

This…sudden speech from Kirika was unexpected. She was right though; she was there along with everyone else to help save the planet. Isn’t that kind of what the Commander said once everything was over?

Miku didn’t realize how she looked whenever staring at simple things like this. Did everyone else see it the same way?

All this did was make her cry more, which seemed to freak Kirika out.

“Wahhh, don’t cry! I didn’t mean to make the tears come even faster!”

“D-Don’t worry, these are happy tears. Thank you so much…Kirika-chan.”

That seemed to relax her a bit, which made Miku smile.

“That’s good then, whew. You scared me!”

“Sorry, sorry. But…I might need another one. This tissue is ripped…”

“Sure!” Kirika began to fish another tissue out the pack, before Miku took the entire thing, much to Kirika’s surprise.

“Hey! The whole thing?”

“Never can be too safe!” Miku chuckled, which allowed Kirika to break out into her own set of laughter.

_‘I never thought…she paid attention to me like that…’_

—-

Where could she be? Kirika did say Miku came back to campus despite it being her off day. Luckily, the teachers were being nice to work with her whenever she just…had a particularly bad day and couldn’t come to classes. And because of that, Hibiki didn’t think she’d actually come. Was she lonely? That could have been the case. Maybe she should have lied and said she was sick in order to stay with her.

“At least everyone was being nice to me whenever I did have to leave to help her out, aha.”  
But they probably saw that more of her being the only to help out but that wasn’t true. Everyone could help if they wanted to.

Walking around the halls aimlessly like a lost puppy was getting her nowhere. Why didn’t she just call her on the phone or send a text?

“No, wait, I sent her a text…”

Hibiki quickly looked down at her phone and there was…no response.

“Ugh, Mikuuuuuuuuuu.” Hibiki stressed into a playful whine, but Miku wasn’t there to chastise her for it. Something about that made her fingers ache. As she continued walking, she took note of the sound of a piano. It was coming from the music room.

Anyone was free to play on it once school hours were over, and she didn’t know anyone else that would use it besides Miku…though she was sure there were other people in this school that actually played it.

“Heh, there she issssss.” Hibiki practically hissed with a grin, making sure to stay quiet as she could as she made her way to the doorway. But the closer she got, the more she got to listen and her pace slowed down.

“This song…”

It was slow in pace, almost like she was playing one note at a time but continued to hold the melody together. Miku only touched a maximum of three or four keys at a time, her fingers pressing on them so softly Hibiki wasn’t sure if she heard them or not.

The song repeated the same melody a lot, which she assumed was the main one. But as she stood there listening, it divulged into another singular melody. Each note was high, there seemed to be a rare use of sharp notes, yet that only left it feeling more impactful. 

But…something about this piece felt empty. It made her feel…lonely. Is that what Miku was feeling while playing it?

Those times where Miku was gone left her feeling this same sort of loneliness. Hibiki felt herself being a bit overprotective once Miku was back and safe and she wondered if it ever suffocated Miku. She’s toned it back now but during those times, it was scary for both of them.

The piece must not have been long because before she knew it, Miku had stopped and was staring directly at Hibiki without saying a word.

“O-Oh, sorry! Was just…listening! Hope that was okay!”

“Of course it was.” Miku smiled, patting the space beside her for Hibiki to sit. With a wry grin, Hibiki sat down beside her, Miku gently taking her hands and laying them over the piano keys.

“Once you relax, you can play along with me.” Miku teased.

“H-Hard to relax like this! It’s awkward, isn’t it?” 

“No. Or, maybe it is for you. Let me see.” Miku stood to her feet, Hibiki confused on what she was doing, until she felt the girl’s arms snake around her neck. Miku’s hands rested back over hers while her head rested on Hibiki’s shoulder.

“More comfortable?”

“U-Uh…”

Miku chuckled right into her ear, which only gave her chills.

_‘God, this is stressful.’_

Miku didn’t speak, all she did was guide Hibiki’s fingers back and forth on the keys, making her press down on the ones she wanted to form a melody. This song wasn’t the same one she was playing before, so what was it? Was it a basic one? Made sense since Hibiki didn’t know a single thing about playing the piano. 

She was thinking it was that french song that everyone always used a tutorial. What was it called again? Regardless, it was always what she heard whenever anyone started playing a new instrument.

But the second Miku started singing, it was different.

_“You used to feel like home, I never lived alone,_  
_you used to be right here and I would have you all my own._  
_I counted on you, I never went without,_  
_and if I needed it you’d be there without any doubt._

_It was you.”_

Hibiki recognized the song. Some sort of…overseas one but…one she remembered them singing once. It was sung by two people, which made it easy to practice. And plus, it was a song that Miku could easily practice her piano to.

However…after everything’s that happened, it made her heart race. When her part came, she didn’t hesitate in singing it back as a response.

_“I dreamt of better days, too quick to run away._  
_I turned my life around to find I didn’t need a change._  
_And all I see is your shadow,_  
_and all I wish is tomorrow could be a better day._  
_This could be a better day._  
_I’m sorry it was you, that I pulled out and through,_  
_and if it’s any help, just know that I am hurting too._  
_And all I see is your shadow,_  
_and all I wish is tomorrow could be a better day._

_Oh it was you.”_

That seemed like enough for Miku to smile, still gliding Hibiki’s fingers over the keys with ease as they both sung the next part together.

_“You were the highlight of my life,_  
_and if I could repeat and re-run,_  
_I would hold up so high what I’d won._  
_It was you._  
_You were the highlight of my life,_  
_and if I could repeat and re-run,_  
_I’d get caught and be trapped in the fun._  
_It was you.”_

Music has a funny way of connection, didn’t it? But Hibiki was having fun, and despite that melody she played earlier, this one seemed to dissolve that lonely atmosphere.

Miku took her hands off before removing herself off of Hibiki altogether.

“E-Eh? You were so warm! Now I’m cold!”

As expected, Hibiki felt a small ‘bop’ on her head.

“Nope.” Miku folded her arms playfully while Hibiki pouted. “This is your punishment.” 

“For what?!”

“My secret to keep.” Miku giggled, poking Hibiki’s puffed out cheek before stretching her arms. It didn’t take long for Hibiki to stop her pouting, giving Miku a smile.

“…we’re not alone anymore, huh?”

Miku hesitated but eventually gave her a nod.

“No, we’re not.”

—-

“A-Are you sure this is okay?”

Elfnein seemed to hold the air horn so awkwardly, Miku gently showing her the correct position to hold it.

“Like this so it won’e be so loud for you, okay? Keep it away from your ears.”

“I was worried it would be too loud for all of you!” 

“Don’t worry, we’re a good distance!” Kirika chuckled, twisting her upper body in the form of a warm up, but it looked like she was ready to pop her entire body off with how intense she looked. Chris sighed.

“Do I really have to be part of this? You know running isn’t my thing…”

“Always best to test your limits, Yukine.”

“That’s easy for you to say! You’re great at this stuff! Plus, you’re tall as a tree!” 

“A tree?” Tsubasa questioned while Maria laughed.

“Tsubasa-san sure is tall, but it doesn’t mean she’s fast.” Shirabe spoke up quietly before walking over to Kirika, fixing her jacket.

“Kiri-chan, if you don’t look presentable, you’ll tangle yourself up while running.”

“Oh, really? Thanks, Shirabe! Always looking out for me.”

Maria fixed her hair up into a ponytail, stretching her arms before getting into position.  
“Come on, we’re wasting time. Warm ups are over.”

Hibiki chuckled, hopping to her feet as she stood in a lane next to Miku. Everyone else got into their positions as well, and once they were lined up, Miku kept her eyes forward. 

The look of determination she always had was there, and it reminded her of when they were younger. The reason Miku stopped doing track was…

“O-Okay, ready? Set…” Elfnein placed the air horn into the air. “G-Go!” 

And the second she pressed that button, and the sound echoed, Miku found herself shooting off.

This familiar sense of running, the wind rushing through her hair, it all reminded her back to the past.

_‘I never…wanted to look at anyone’s back. The only exception I made was for Hibiki…’_

The others soon came into view. Tsubasa was tall and slender but had excellent form. She was good at running…or training in general. Shirabe was close, but Miku believed she was so used to skating that she seemed a bit wobbly.

Maria ran just fine as well, Miku being much more distracted by her bouncing ponytail than anything but her shoulders still seemed to hold that confidence. Kirika was a lot more carefree, running as if she was racing against the wind. Her posture showed how much fun she was having.

Chris, on the other hand, seemed as if she was suffering. She already looked tired but…despite that, her expression held one of determination. Or maybe there was some exhaustion too. Either way, she was trying, and it was evident from her face.

Hibiki ran beside her, far in the back, grinning the whole time before gently taking her hand.

“Look at all these friends we made!”

Even Elfnein, who attempted to keep up but was running out of breath as she kept shouting cheers for them. It wasn’t a real race though. But who knew how fun this could be? She felt…free.

For once, she didn’t feel bogged down by her emotions or even the strong desire of wanting to get ahead of everyone. A laugh escaped her mouth and lasted until every single one of them crossed the finish line.

“You’re…you’re laughing? Aren’t you tired…?” Chris complained, who was already sitting down on the ground.

“Miku’s stamina is out of this world!” 

“Shut up, idiot, you sound just as tired as me…”

“I was talking about Miku, not myself!” 

Chris only waved her hand nonchalantly but a smile lingered on her lips. Elfnein finally reached them, already handing out bottles of water before even giving herself a break.

Miku watched them as they conversed among themselves, just idle chatter that didn’t hold any sort of important topic. Just them…living their lives. It was overwhelming and she felt Hibiki gripping her hand tighter.

“You’re not alone…Miku.”

Miku wiped at her eyes but kept the smile on her lips.

“We all have each other…right?”

**Author's Note:**

> Song sung by Hibiki and Miku is "Highlight" by Bim. Totally recommend them, haha.
> 
> But once again, if you made it all the way to the end, thank you so much for reading.


End file.
